Tension device for shears.



W. F. HOBBS.

TENSION DEVICE FOR SHE ARS.

APPLIOATIO-N FILED APR. 28, 1909.

932,390. Patented'Ailg. 24, 1909.

IINVIENTOR WITNESSES: l

ATTORNEY mnusw. a. GRAHAM cc. Pnvmumocmmins. WASNiNGYON. n, 0.

WILLIS F. HOBBS,

OF BRIDGEFORT, CONNECTIG'UT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRIDGEPORT HARDWARE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNEGTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NEGTICUT.

TENSION DEVICE FOR SHEARS.

To all whom it may concern:

30 it known that I, Vi rLLis F. Hones, a citizen of the United States, residing at ri lgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Tension Devices for Shears, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive tension device for shears which may be readily attached and removed and may be adjusted to apply a variable tension upon either the bow or .the blade side of the pivot.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the simple and novel tension device which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of shears with my novel tension device in place thereon and adjusted to apply the tension on the blade side of the pivot; Fig. 2 an edge view corresponding therewith; Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the device adj usted to place tension upon the bow side of the pivot; and Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the spring detached.

1O denotes the blades, 11 the rides, 12 the shanks and 13 the bows, each blade with the corresponding ride, shank and bow comprising a shear member. So far as my present invention is concerned all of these parts may be of any ordinary or preferred style or configuration.

14: denotes the pivot which passes through the rides and may engage either of them or pass freely through both of them as preferred. One end of the pivot is provided with a head 15 and the other end with a nut 16 upon which the pivot may or may not be headed as preferred.

My novel tension device comprises a reverse-bent spring which is commonly described as a C-spring, and which is indicated as a whole by 17. The upper arm of the spring, indicated specifically by 18, is longer than, and extended beyond, the lower shorter arm, specifically indicated by 19, and carries at its end a tension screw 20 which is adapted to engage either the ride or the blade of the upper member so as to apply the tension upon either side of the pivot. Recesses 21 are provided in the blade and in the ride, either of which is adapted to re- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 28, 1909.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909.

Serial No. 492,765.

ceive the point of the screw to lock the spring against oscillation. The lower arm 19 of the spring is shown as provided with a longitudinal slot 22 extending inward from the end thereof which just receives the pivot, the arm of the spring straddling the pivot and lying between the head of the pivot and the upper ride. A hole may be provided in the arm instead of a slot, if preferred.

The spring is applied as follows: If the pivot is a screw which turns into the nut, the screw is turned outward far enough to permit arm 19 of the spring to be passed between the head of the pivot and the ride with the slot receiving the pivot, the tension screw is placed in registration with either of the recesses 21, and then the nut is tightened up to lock the spring in place. The tension is regulated to any amount desired by turning the tension screw in or out. Where the end of the pivot is headed upon the nut, the head of the pivot is retained separated from the ride leaving space enough between the head and the ride to receive arm 19 of the spring, which may be readily forced to place with the slot receiving the pivot. The spring is not clamped so tightly between the head and the ride but that it may be oscillated on the pivot so as to place the point of the tension screw in registration with either of the recesses 21. The tension is regulated by turning the screw in or out as before. Should it be required at any time to shift the tension from the blade to the bow side of the pivot, or vice versa, it is simply necessary to loosen the tension screw su'liiciently to disengage the point thereof from the recess 21 and then to swing the spring around on the pivot, but without removing it therefrom, until the point of the tension screw is in registration with the other recess after which the spring is locked in place and the tension is regulated by tightening up the screw as before.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A tension device for shears comprising a reversely bent spring having a long arm and a short arm, the short arm being formed for attachment to the pivot of the shears and the other arm being provided with a tension screw adapted to engage a shear member on the blade or the bow side of the pivot.

2. A tension device for shears comprising a reversely bent spring having a short lower arm provided with a slot to receive a shear pivot and a longer upper arm provided with a tension screw to engage a shear member.

3. The combination with the members of shears and a pivot, of a reversely bent spring having a lower arm recessed to engage the pivot and a longer upper arm provided with a tension screw adapted to engage a member.

4. The combination with a shear member having recesses in the blade and the ride and pivot having a head, of a reversely bent spring having a lower arm recessed to pass between the head and the ride and a longer upper arm carrying a tension screw adapted to engage either of the recesses.

5. The combination with a shear member and a pivot having a head, of a reversely bent spring having a lower arm recessed to pass under the head and provided with a slot to receive the pivot, and the upper arm being extended beyond the lower arm and provided with a tension screw adapted to engage the member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS F; HOBBS.

Htnesses:

S. \V. Arirnn'roN, A. El. Voosrnn. 

